MigrantoSouth African Diaspora
1M South Africans live abroad — 2% of the population of South Africa
South African diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 62% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 245446 |
| Australia | 213447 |
| USA | 161507 |
| New Zealand | 101970 |
| Canada | 52600 |
| Netherlands | 31024 |
| Mozambique | 21022 |
| Zimbabwe | 20346 |
| Ireland | 18857 |
| Israel | 14535 |
| Portugal | 14232 |
| Eswatini | 12870 |
| Namibia | 9422 |
| Greece | 7484 |
| Angola | 6487 |
| Italy | 6245 |
| Botswana | 6052 |
| Lesotho | 5964 |
| Malawi | 5907 |
| Belgium | 5259 |
| Cyprus | 5240 |
| China | 5129 |
| Zambia | 5022 |
| Austria | 3710 |
| India | 3709 |
| Denmark | 2999 |
| Brazil | 1941 |
| Norway | 1936 |
| Japan | 1415 |
| Finland | 1203 |
| Guinea | 1161 |
| Malta | 909 |
| Isle of Man | 833 |
| Poland | 783 |
| Luxembourg | 761 |
| Libya | 729 |
| Mali | 725 |
| Hungary | 712 |
| Tanzania | 687 |
| Mauritius | 632 |
| Bulgaria | 461 |
| Chile | 455 |
| Argentina | 441 |
| Peru | 406 |
| Mexico | 355 |
| Egypt | 304 |
| Bermuda | 293 |
| Sri Lanka | 265 |
| Seychelles | 262 |
| Croatia | 180 |
| Slovakia | 167 |
| Iceland | 157 |
| Bahamas | 116 |
| Eritrea | 95 |
| Slovenia | 94 |
| Kenya | 91 |
| Saint Helena | 86 |
| Panama | 84 |
| Costa Rica | 81 |
| Sierra Leone | 72 |
| Venezuela | 63 |
| Estonia | 60 |
| Central African Republic | 57 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 47 |
| Cayman Islands | 45 |
| Liechtenstein | 32 |
| Faroe Islands | 26 |
| Lithuania | 26 |
| Latvia | 21 |
| Bolivia | 20 |
| Gabon | 12 |
| Dominican Republic | 11 |
| Saint Lucia | 3 |
By region
34% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The South African diaspora in numbers
The community in the Netherlands is growing fastest
The number of South Africans living in the Netherlands has grown 127% since 2015, from 13.7K to 31K.
The share of the diaspora living in Africa has declined since 1990
24.6% of the diaspora lived in Africa in 1990, compared with 9.7% today.
South African diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 295392 |
| 1995 | 357986 |
| 2000 | 494645 |
| 2005 | 613772 |
| 2010 | 704402 |
| 2015 | 782819 |
| 2020 | 898203 |
| 2024 | 1005800 |
Largest communities over time
South Africans living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | United Kingdom | Australia | USA | New Zealand | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 63164 | 46167 | 36551 | 7375 | 23897 |
| 1995 | 92386 | 59022 | 35154 | 10863 | 28514 |
| 2000 | 133401 | 80607 | 68904 | 24072 | 33976 |
| 2005 | 164846 | 114035 | 94837 | 39560 | 37929 |
| 2010 | 198360 | 156200 | 89542 | 49660 | 42621 |
| 2015 | 216440 | 177482 | 102856 | 62541 | 47223 |
| 2020 | 232701 | 199994 | 129545 | 82625 | 50957 |
| 2024 | 245446 | 213447 | 161507 | 101970 | 52600 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of South Africans in each country has changed since the selected year
South Africans among immigrants in other countries
Where South Africans make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many South Africans live outside South Africa?
Around 1M South Africans live abroad, the world's #69 largest diaspora.
Where do most South Africans abroad live?
Most South Africans live in United Kingdom, Australia and USA — these three countries account for about 62% of all South Africans living abroad.
Which country has the largest South African population outside South Africa?
United Kingdom is home to the largest South African community abroad — 245.4K people, about 24% of all South Africans living abroad.
What share of the population of South Africa lives abroad?
About 2% of the population of South Africa lives abroad — that's 1M out of a total population of 64M.
Is the South African diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of South Africans living abroad has grown from 782.8K to 1M, about 28%.
Where does the data on the South African diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in South Africa who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
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Living in South Africa
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